Crate



Feb. 28, 1933. D. GUICE' 1,899,864

CRATE Filed July 8, 1951 Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STA DUKE euros, or GREENVILLE, 'ALAJaAMA Application filed m a,

This invention relates to improvementsin crates for use in shipping fruit or the like, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a novel wood crate having advan- 5 tages over the crates now employed in the shipment of fruit, vegetables, etc.

WVith the foregoing object outlined and with other objects in view which will appearas the description proceeds, the invention conm sists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved crate. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of 26 one of the lower corner portions of'the crate partly broken away.

A crate in accordance with my invention may be packed either from the top or the bottom, and it comprises an upper outside 29 frame or cleat 4 and a lower frame or cleat 5.

Each of these frames is preferably of rectangular form and made up of wood strips which are connected together at their ends by tongue and groove joints 6. Sideboards 7 are arranged in spaced relation relatively to one another, and nails or the like 8, pass through the lower ends of these boards and into the bottom frame 5 which is arranged within the enclosure formed by the wall 35 boards.

At the top, however, the enclosure formed 7 by the wall boards is arranged within the top frame 4, and nails or the like 9' pass through the boards and into the frame 4.

It will be observed that the wall boards diver e upwardly, and this facilitates ventilation when the crates are packed side b side in a freight car or the like. Bottom boards 10 rest on andare perma- 0 nently nailed as at 11 to the frame 5, while the top of the crate is preferably removable.

Said top rests on the frame and is formed of spaced top boards 12 which are rigidly I secured by any suitable means, such as nails L9 13, to cross strips 14.

1931. Serial No. 549,550. r In order to secure the top tothe crate, metal tongues 15are nailed totheframe 4 as at 16, and after the top has been placed in position, these tongues are bent over the cross pieces 14: and nailed to the latter, as 5 shown at 17. Obviously, when the two nails 17 are loosened, the tongues can be bent out wardly and the top can be immediately removed.

'With regard to the advantages of this crate over those now in general use, it will be noted that as the crate is square and the outside frames or cleats t are rectangular, said frames, when the crates are packed side by side, may abut against one another so that in shipment, the packages will carry much better than anything now on the market. In addition, it is almost impossible for the contents to get bruised or mashed while in transit, and when the crates are furnished in the beginning, the bottoms and tops can be made loose to enable the shipper to pack from bottom to top, or top to bottom, so as to produce a neat package. Furthermore, they not only provide for ample ventilation, but owing to their square shapes, they are more rigid than the round crates, as the tops of the round ones 7 have no protection when packed one on top of the other. Moreover, owing to the arrangement of the top cleats on the outside, and the bottom ones on the inside, the crates are rigid and can be stacked without liability of mashing or bruising the contents during shipment.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of the invention may be readily understood, and it is apparent that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A rectangular wood crate comprisin a top frame and a bottom frame, bottom oards resting on and secured to the bottom frame, spaced removable top boards resting on the top frame, side wall boards forming an en closure between said frames, each of said side wall boards having its-upper end arranged within and secured to: the top frame and its lower end arranged outside of and secured to the bottom frame, strips extending across the upper surface of and rigidly secured to the top boards, and metal tongues extending through the space between said top boards and securing said strips and top boards to the top frame,,each tongue having one of its ends secured to the top frame and 1ts other end extending over and secured to one of sald strips.

- In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

DUKE GUIOE.

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